Study: Eating Fresh Avocados May Chase Away Hunger Pains

Want to curb your cravings? A recent study shows chowing down
on avocado may satiate your hunger between meals.

Research published in the November issue of the Nutrition Journal showed that overweight people who ate half of a fresh avocado with their
lunch were more likely feel full and not want to snack more after their meal.

According
to the study's authors, this might help with weight management and may
even reduce risk for disease, like Type 2 diabetes.

"Satiety is an important factor in weight management,
because people who feel satisfied are less likely to snack between meals,"
lead researcher Dr. Joan Sabate, chair of the department of nutrition at Loma
Linda University in Loma Linda, Calif., said in a press release. "We also
noted that though adding avocados increased participants' calorie and
carbohydrate intake at lunch, there was no increase in blood sugar levels
beyond what was observed after eating the standard lunch. This leads us to
believe that avocados potential role in blood sugar management is worth further
investigation."

The study involved 26 overweight but otherwise healthy adults who were
asked to include avocados in their lunch either by replacing an item they
would have eaten with the fruit, or eating avocado in addition to their regular meal.

Those that added half of an avocado were found to be 40
percent less likely to want to snack after lunch over a three-hour period, and
28 percent less likely to munch on something else up to five hours after the meal, compared
to when they didn't eat the avocado.

Avocado-eaters also were found to report more meal satisfaction, about 26 percent higher
up to three hours after the meal, compared to after eating a standard lunch.

The researchers said that more studies need to be conducted to
be able to say for sure that the results would be applicable to the
average person,. They want to look deeper at avocados' effects at
glucose and
insulin levels, which are markers for diabetes.

Fresh Hass avocados have 3 grams of carbohydrates and less
than 1 gram of natural sugar per ounce serving. It has 8 percent of the daily
value for fiber. While it contains fat, the fats in avocados are considered
good fats.

Nicki Ford, the director of nutrition at the Hass
Avocado Board -- which funded the study, said the results were promising.

"These research findings provide support for the
emerging benefits of avocados," Ford said in a press release. "These
results further complement our research efforts in weight management and
diabetes as well as our continued work to explore the many benefits that fresh
avocados have to offer when consumed in everyday healthy eating plans."